Jared Stohl< i=""> |
Pilots shoot 52 percent from the field
PORTLAND, Ore. --- Nik Raivio scored 17 points and was joined in double figures by three teammates as the Portland Pilots beat the Loyola Marymount Lions 74-63 Saturday night at the Chiles Center. Portland shot 52 percent from the field and outscored the Lions 38-22 in the paint.
Freshman guard Jared Stohl started for the second straight game and scored a season-high 14 points. Sophomore forward Ethan Niedermeyer also earned the start and responded with 14 points, five rebounds and four assists. Niedermeyer started in place of Sherrard Watson, who has battled the flu but still played 16 minutes off the bench. Robin Smeulders added 12 points and six rebounds.
The Lions (5-19, 2-6 West Coast Conference) came out on fire from the field, making their first four field goal attempts and connecting on 55 percent of their shots in the first half. LMU led by five in the early going, but the Pilots (8-16, 2-6) kept the pace and used a 10-0 run highlighted by a Smeulders dunk to gain a 36-28 lead. Shawn Deadwiler drilled a three to make it 36-31 at the half.
LMU came out hot again after the half and took a one point lead before the Pilots put the clamps down defensively. Stohl hit a three and freshman center Kramer Knutson converted a three-point play on consecutive possessions to give the Pilots a 51-45 lead. Portland continued to add to the margin and led by as much as 14 in the closing minutes.
“We asked the guys to defend and share the ball,” Portland head coach Eric Reveno said. “I was pleased with our second half defense and our assist-to-turnover ratio.”
Portland committed a season low 10 turnovers in the game and held the Lions to 41 percent shooting in the second half.
Stohl made 4-of-7 three-pointers in the game and has now made at least one trey in all 22 games that he has played in for the Pilots.
“We ran two inbounds plays for him and the team executed them very well,” Reveno noted. “His teammates set him up and Jared knocked down the shots. A shooter that like can make a coach look good when he’s making shots.”
The Pilots gained a 29-26 edge on the boards and a 23-15 margin in points off turnovers. There were eight ties and eight lead changes overall.
Portland looks to build on the momentum when they host Pepperdine on Monday. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Chiles Center.
